Lions Kicker James Turner Has 'Huge Upside'

Lions will have a true kicking battle at training camp.

Detroit Lions place kicker James Turner / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions planned to have a legitimate kicking competition all throughout training camp this summer.

Throughout the spring, undrafted free agent kicker James Turner has closed the gap considerably between himself and presumed favorite Michael Badgley.

Badgley began last season on the practice squad, but beat out Riley Patterson and took over as the kicker late in the year. He hit all four of his attempts for Detroit last year, and is 24-for-28 in two seasons with the Lions.

In fact, Turner has performed so well that Detroit's personnel department may not even need to reach out to Jake Bates. The Michigan Panthers' kicker caught the attention of Lions' fans, due to his success early in the UFL season at Ford Field.

The undrafted kicker, who played collegiately at Michigan and Louisville, was extremely accurately and showcased his leg strength all week at minicamp. In reviewing minicamp notes on the kicking battle, Turner did not miss a kick during team periods. While Badgley was also impressive, he finished with more misses throughout the week.

According to the Lions team website, "It's going to be fun to see how that competition between him and Michael Badgley works itself out throughout the course of training camp. Badgley was very steady at the end of last year and in the playoffs. There's comfort in that, but Turner might have some huge upside with a big leg."

Since Matt Prater departed following the 2020 season, the fanbase has not been as confident in the kicking game. The team has had a revolving door of sorts attempting to find a reliable kicker.

While Turner is not a household name, he could end up being Detroit's starting kicker in 2024.

Turner was 65-of-80 in his collegiate career, which began at Louisville. He transferred to Michigan for his final season, in which he converted 18-of-21 field goal attempts.

Additional reading

1.) 5 Players Who Must Step Up at Lions Training Camp

2.) Minicamp Takeaways: Lions' Defense Shines, Team Embraces Hype

3.) Predicting Taylor Decker's Contract Extension

4.) 8 Players Who Impressed at Lions Minicamp